Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to be able to speak in the House of Commons on the first day of this 43rd Parliament.
To the people of Parry Sound—Muskoka and to all Canadians, I have a simple message: It is time for all of us to start working together. We have just come off a bitter campaign, and our country is divided. Voters are crying out for positive leadership.
In this minority Parliament, I hope we will tone down the rhetoric, turn up the positivity and take up the good work of nation building with things like finding common ground to bridge the growing urban-rural divide in this country; a serious commitment to infrastructure and housing in all communities, big and small; and common-sense solutions to the very real challenge of climate change.
For my part, that is the kind of positive change I sought office to bring about. Regardless of the challenge, we need to get all levels of government, along with the private sector, working together.
Our job together, today and tomorrow, is to ensure that we live up to these goals.